1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for providing an even discharge of impact blast material from a throwing wheel assembly and, more particularly, to an apparatus for providing an even pattern of discharge across the vanes of a throwing wheel assembly from an impeller internally disposed therein.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Throwing wheel assemblies of the type having a wheel or rotor with an attached impeller and a plurality of radially extending vanes arranged thereabout are generally well known. Typically, a feed spout is provided which supplies a flow of impact blast material to the impeller. The impeller is rotated, via the rotor, and the blast material is radially projected therefrom. The blast material is directed onto a plurality of radially extending vanes which, in turn, eject the blast material from the throwing wheel assembly at a predetermined velocity which is normally a function of the speed, i.e. revolutions per minute, of the rotor. The vanes are adapted to receive and throw the blast material from the periphery of the rotor through an appropriate discharge point in the machine casing to strip or clean metal castings or the like.
Due to the nature and overall configuration of the impeller and rotor, the impact blast material is directed to flow along the sidewalls of the vane which inherently provides increased abrasive wear therealong and greatly decreases the vane operating life. Typically, the blast material is discharged from the outer impeller casing in such a manner as to provide a transversely uneven flow across the face of the vanes. This uneven distribution of flow has been found to be a leading cause of excessive wear in the vanes. The known prior art, of which U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,242,615; 3,348,339; and 3,694,963 are exemplary, are directed to various configurations to shape the longitudinal blast pattern discharged from the vane. None are directed to forming an even transverse flow of blast material across the face of a vane but, rather, have merely been designed to direct or in some way alter the blast pattern emitted from the vane. Consequently, short vane operating life and excessive wear along known areas of the vane continue to exist.